Lesbian

The word lesbian can refer to desire, a
woman's identity, or activity between women.

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual
and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer
to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having
the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an adjective, to describe
characteristics of an object or activity related to female same-sex desire.
Lesbian as a concept, used to differentiate women with a shared sexual
orientation, is a 20th-century construct. Although female homosexuality has
appeared in many cultures throughout time, not until recently has lesbian
described a group of people. In the late 19th century, sexologists published
their observations on same-sex desire and behavior, and designated lesbians in
Western culture as a distinct entity. As a result, women who became aware of
their new medical status formed underground subcultures in Europe and North
America. Further broadening of the term occurred in the 1970s with the
influence of second wave feminism. Historians since have re-examined
relationships between women in history, and have questioned what qualifies a
woman or a relationship as lesbian. The result of such discussion has
introduced three components to identifying lesbians: sexual behavior, sexual
desire, or sexual identity.
Men have historically shaped ideas about what is respectable for women in
love, sex, and family, and due to the absence of males in a lesbian
relationship, frequently rejected the possibility of lesbianism or disregarded
it as a valid expression of sexuality. Early sexologists based their
characterization of lesbians on their beliefs that women who challenged their
strictly prescribed gender roles were mentally ill. Since then, many lesbians
have often reacted to their designation as immoral outcasts by constructing a
subculture based on gender role rebellion. Lesbianism has sometimes been in
vogue throughout history, which affects how lesbians are viewed by others as
well as how they view themselves. Some women who engage in homosexual behavior
may reject the lesbian identity entirely, refusing to identify themselves as
lesbian or bisexual.

The different ways lesbians have been portrayed in the media suggests that
Western society at large has been simultaneously intrigued and threatened by
women who challenge feminine gender roles, and fascinated and appalled with
women who are romantically involved with other women. Women who adopt the
lesbian identity, however, share experiences that form an outlook similar to
ethnic identity: as homosexuals, they are unified by the discrimination and
potential rejection they face from their families, friends, and others. As
women, they face concerns separate from men. Lesbians may encounter distinct
health concerns. Political conditions and social attitudes also continue to
affect the formation of lesbian relationships and families.

origin of
the word lesbian

The word lesbian comes from the
Greek Island of Lesbos, where the poet Sappho lived in 600 B.C. Sappho was an
intellectual and poet who wrote many love poems to other women. Although much
of her poetry has been destroyed by religious fundamentalists, the few poems
of Sappho that remain speak clearly to her love and infatuation with women.

It is unclear when the word "lesbian" was first used to describe women who
love other women, but the first usage can be traced back to the 1800s. It came
into popular use in the lesbian feminist era of the 1960s and 1970s.

Tammy Lynn Michaels: Michaels played the bitchy Nicole
Julian on WB's drama Popular and has a role in the lesbian series The L Word. Perhaps she is best known for her marriage to Rocker
Melissa Etheridge.